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From: rrd@hpfcso.HP.COM (Ray Depew)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds
Subject: Re: Help on file transfer
Message-ID: <7360038@hpfcso.HP.COM>
Date: 7 Jan 91 17:14:44 GMT
References: <0A527C0B8000005A@gacvx1.gac.edu>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Lines: 52

Thomas L. Fors (FORSTHO@IITVAX.BITNET) asked:

> Can someone please help me?  I am trying to doenload a program from
> Compuserve to my HP48SX.  

[stuff deleted]

> Compuserve to my PC and Kermit from my PC to my calculator.  The file is
> in binary form and when I transfer it to my calculator, it is stored
> as a string which looks like this: "HPHP48-B....."

You forgot to set your calculator to "binary" mode.  (Even if you think you 
did, you really didn't! :-) )  The clue is your statement that the program
appears as a string beginning with "HPHP48-B.....".  This is the header for
binary HP-48 files stored outside the 48.  ASCII files start with a header 
similar to "$$HP: T(3)A(R)F(.);"

In the binary header, the "B" refers to the revision # of the calculator
from which the program was uploaded (I think).  HP tells us that my Rev.A
machine and your Rev.D machine can swap binary files without getting bitten
by bugs.  So the revision number isn't that important (yet).

In the ASCII header, "T(3)" refers to "translate code 3," "A(R)" means "angle
mode is radians", and "F(.)" means that the decimal point is a dot rather than
a comma.  The 48 sets these variables on uploading a file, and reads them when
downloading the file, temporarily changing its configuration as necessary to
make sure that the data is downloaded accurately.  You can also change the
variables yourself, when editing the file offline. 

Sorry, I know that's more information than you asked for.

> ... I don't think the problem
> is from my PC to the calculator, I think it is either from Compuserve to
> my PC or even when the file was Uploaded to Compuserve.  Can anyone verify
> this?  
 
Nope, it's at the last link in the chain:  the calculator.  According to the
owner's manual, "A receiving HP 48 treats all files as ASCII unless they match
the special encoding generated for HP 48 binary files.  The calculator will
automatically switch to binary receive mode for files with this encoding."
I don't think that's true.  I think you have to set binary manually -- at least
that's what we've all been doing since Day One.

For more information, read pages 629, 630 of the owner's manual.

--

Regards
Ray Depew
HP ICBD -- IC's by Bill and Dave   
rrd@hpfitst1.hp.com
Disclaimer:  I don't make calculators, I just use them, same as you.